Archive for the ‘Blogroll’ Category

During World War II, more Jews were taken away (a bigger percentage) than in any other West-European country. With the support of Dutch civil servants and police. Anyone who thinks the Dutch are such a great and tolerant people should see this (in Dutch).

In 1950 the “Monument van Joodse Erkentelijkheid” (”monument for Jewish gratitude”) was erected in the Weesperstraat in Amsterdam, supposedly offered by the Jewish people to “thank the Dutch people for protection”

Last year I tried to integrate my good old Roland SP 808 sampler with my LiSa setup. I used the sounds of the SP 808, at the same time controlling LiSa with the SP 808 as hardware controller, sending the output of LiSa also through the effects of the SP 808. It was great, but it had some flaws. I configured the SP 808 as a controller using JunXion, but everytime I start up Junxion the midi connections I programmed were not recognized so I had to manually drag and drop all the connections again. I did like the interface with the pads and sliders as interface, so after thinking about it long and hard I decided to buy NI’s Maschine.

Maschine is a kind of Groove / dance work station with pads and sliders and buttons, a bit like the Roland samplers or the Akai MPC’s. It is not cheap, but it is a great toy. The pads are great and feel sturdy. It is not really a hardware sampler, basically it is a controller that comes with software, there is no zip disk or memory card. The software works standalone but also as plugin with any DAW. It is meant for beat-oriented music but can also be used for other kinds of music. The software that comes with it is very good, I really like the software / hardware integration, but sofar I did not have time to work with it much. It also comes with a lot of drumsounds.

Maschine can also be use as a stand alone midi controller and comes with a very good midi editor. I have made a setup for LiSa. The pads send out PKP, and I have played around with it using that for volume, sample position, sample lenght and filter parameters. Great. I also have a few disappointments / wishes:

– Maschine can only be used with its software OR as midi controller. I cannot control both LiSa and the sounds of the Maschine software, which would be great for a live setup. My biggest disappointment (I should have investigated this more I suppose).

– No Beamer ctrl like the SP 808 has (or similar Roland samplers)

– No Faders!!! I wish they made some space for that.

– No time stretch in the NI software

Hopefully I will be able to post some related ideas / video’s / sounds soon.

My idea for my new live setup:

– Macbook pro using LiSa and KORG legacy / software version of the MS20. The output of both is routed through the RAX virtual mixer, which allows me to use VST plugins (yes in Live this is much easier I am sure, but I just happen to like LiSa better)

It is a documentary about Girl Talk, a “Mash up” artist (not a DJ) and about the changing copyright situation. The film itself is mash up; made out of contributions of many different people. Mash up, remix, sample, cut, copy and paste: its all fair game as far as I am concerned. Creativity cannot be limited by the ridiculous pressures, regulations and lobby’s from the music industry mafia, who is not interested in music, art or beauty but in only in money. There was no problem when everyone had to buy their LP collection again on CD…the music industry should adapt or die.

Eyad El Sharraj is a Palestinian human rights activists who has been arrested and tortured by the Palestinian authorities when he criticized them. He is a Psychiatrist who studied in England and came back to the Gaza strip and founded the Gaza Community Mental Health Program. It was the only mental health service available in the beginning and it is needed more than ever. The suffering of the Palestinians have translated in psychological damage by so many people, domestic violence and kids that have no other future than to grow up in hate and fear. The children that grow up now in Gaza are the suicide bombers of tomorrow. The Gaza Community Mental Health Program should get our full support in the future.

Criticizing Israel is still very difficult, since we as Europeans still feel (rightfully) guilty for the holocaust it is OK for the Israel to do anything they like to the Palestinians. The logic that bombing Gaza back into the stone age will make the Palestinians turn against Hamas does not make any sense. Turning a civilian population against their government by bombing them in time of war has never worked, it only increases the power of the regime. When the Allies in WW II bomb Dresden the civilian population still had a better chance surviving in the shelters than if they would rise against Hitler, the survival rate of people falling into the hands of the Gestapo or the SS was not very high. As for the Gaza strip in 2009, the Palestinians have not other choice than Hamas unfortunately. And if the Israeli’s would actually get rid of the Hamas government what is their plan? Hamas is a horrible fundamentalist organization, it does have the destruction of Israel in its charter and is responsible for killing many innocent civilians. Ironically it is democratically chosen (the unwavering pro-Israel supporters will point out so was Hitler), and it is also provides social services and relief for the Palestinians who have no other choice. There was a chance to deal with the more moderate voices inside Hamas mabey, but that chance is gone. Israel has strangled the Gaza strip and frustrated the economic progress of the Palestinians. After the Gaza conflict between Hamas and the PLO, and the fact that bringing back the corrupt Palestinian authority will never be legitimized by the Palestinian people there is no alternative to Hamas. Israel only increases the support for Hamas in the Gaza strip in the long run.

It should also be noted that none of the Arab countries really did anything substantial for the Palestinians as far as I know, their support for the Palestinian cause is very hypocritical, the Arab regimes are just interested in their own survival.

What the hell is that? It is a vinyl cutting machine. In January it will finally happen, I will release my record (vinyl!) at the Kazemat label. It will be a split LP with Morsanek (aka Mark Morse) and Vinkepeezer (aka me). Watch out for the preview track at the Gonzo circus magazine.

August 20th I was lucky enough to see The Ex, Gétatchèw Mèkurya, Mahmoud Ahmed and Alèmayèhu Eshèté at an open air concert in Lincoln Centre in New York. The next day I was in JFK on my way home, next to me in the bar behind a Guinness I discovered my hero Mahmoud Ahmed. Not long after that the great Alèmayèhu Eshèté appeared. It’s a bit like meeting James Brown and Chuck Berry.

By the way, they played at Lincoln Centre with the Either/OR Orchestra who really blew it for me, Either/OR Orchestra played so super tight / jazzy and did not seem to understand the typical Ethiopian Groove. Why are these heroes of Ethiopian music not booked with a Ethiopian band, or with whiteys that do get it?